Angel Xiao Long-Black
by LunaTheBlackWolf
Summary: Just some wholesome, and a tad angsty, Gauntlets & Greaves family stuff enjoy!


**Hello Fanfiction, I am NOT dead! XD I've just been very busy since…whenever it was that I last uploaded a chapter to any of the few fanfics I did lol. But anyways, this is a cute little oneshot that I wrote as part of a challenge on the RWBY Amino and decided to upload it here ^_^ hope you all enjoy a little G&G wholesomeness!**

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Mercury was always a light sleeper. Even as a child, before his father began 'training' him in the ways of the assassin, it never took much to wake the grey-haired boy from his slumber. As he grew older, this became a blessing and a curse, depending on the context of the situation. When he was 15, he'd nearly gotten his throat slit by a street thug while he was sleeping. Give you three guesses how that situation ended. Then years later after being recruited by Cinder, he had to deal with Emerald constantly preventing him from catching extra z's, especially during their undercover time at Beacon Academy.

However, never once did Mercury ever imagine one day being rudely awoken by a four-year-old girl with an undeniable resemblance to himself.

"Daddy, wake up!" The child whisper-shouted from where she was seated on the former assassin's back, furiously shaking his shoulder with an excited smile on her face and tone in her sweet voice. "Wake up wake up wake up wake up…!"

"Your daughter's awake." Mercury peeked one gray eye open and glanced at the sleeping form of his girlfriend beside him. All he could see in the dark with his fuzzy vision was the faint golden color of Yang's treasured mane of curls. He didn't need night vision to see the teasing smirk that was undoubtedly across her face; he could hear it in her tired, yet amused voice. Sighing, he moved his pillow from under his head and covered his head with it instead.

"If the sun isn't up yet, she's _your_ kid," He remarked with a groan, praying to whatever gods where still out there that their little rugrat would give him at least another hour – or until the sun actually _rose_. His prayers were ignored as not ten seconds later, his pillow was ripped from atop his head and tossed onto the floor. "Why you littl-"

"You promised we'd get up early and watch the sun rise!" Mercury looked over his shoulder with squinted eyes since the light from the hallway was peeking through the open bedroom door. Blinking the sleep from his vision, he then caught the displeased frown on his daughter's face that was without a doubt inherited from her mother, as were her bright violet eyes. As for her hair, while she did have Yang's wild curls, the color was one that neither of them possessed. Born with a head full of white hair, it didn't take Mercury long to figure out where those snowy locks came from: her grandfather – his father – Marcus Black. The inheritance aside, that stark white hair and sweet, angelic face is what earned their daughter her name: Angel Xiao Long-Black.

The gray-haired man groaned again and rolled onto his back, looking up at the child now seated on the center of his chest. "You know, we could always trade you in for a more quiet and polite kid. One who doesn't wake up at ungodly hours of the morning and lets her dad sleep in peace."

Yang's leg delivered a swift kick to his own beneath the covers – not that the blow did anything to his metal limbs. "Don't tell her that!" She chastised her boyfriend without opening her eyes or moving from her current position.

"True," Angel replied while ignoring her mother's input, a smirk not unlike her father's crossing her face. "But you'd miss me too much, because I'm one of a kind!"

"Yeah, you're one of a kind alright. One of a kind pain in my…"

"_Mercury_." Father and daughter snickered when Yang once more called him off for his humor and language. Yawning, Mercury reluctantly sat up, moving Angel off of his torso so he could take in a full breath again.

"Alright, you little maggot, I'm up. Now how about you go get a bath and brush your teeth before I ship you off to a pawn shop and trade you for a few hundred Lien." The little girl snickered as she and her father traded identical smirks before she slid off the bed and ran out of her parents' room. Moving his head to one side then the other to pop the bones in his neck and shoulders, the assassin's gray eyes shifted to focus on the blonde Huntress lying next to him. Brushing his bangs out of his face, he pulled the covers over his head and shifted closer until his front was pressed to her back, one arm draping over her waist and the other snaking under her neck. "Sorry to disappoint you, Blondie, but if I can't sleep in, neither can you."

Yang chuckled softly as she partially turned over, her violet eyes blinking sleepily as her hand came up to run through his hair, something she did nowadays without even thinking. He let out a content exhale in response, silently pressing his face into the side of her neck. "In case you forgot, _Twinkle Toes_, I need to travel to Vale in a couple hours to meet up with the team, so I was getting up anyways."

Another groan came from him, albeit annoyed this time. "Stop calling me that."

"I'll stop when you stop calling me Blondie."

"I'll stop when you stop being such a blonde."

"Gods you're so infuriating…"

"You know you love me," Mercury replied with his usual cocky smirk that may as well just be his normal face.

"Yeah, I just don't remember why," Yang playfully shot back as she fully turned around so they were facing each other, the tips of their noses touching.

"Because I'm irresistible."

"Bearable would be a better term."

"The little walking alarm clock that was just here is evidence enough that you find me more than _bearable_."

"Shut up," Yang chuckled with an eye roll, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. He cupped her cheek in response before they separated a few seconds later with just their foreheads touching. It was moments like these where no words needed to be spoken, as their eyes said all that needed to be said, plus so much more. It was also moments like this when she could see those iron-like eyes of his soften into something more akin to a cloud, like when a storm has just ended and you get the first glimmers of sunlight through the gray sky. Even though he was immensely different from the boy she first met at Beacon all those years ago, she knew he reserved these tender, vulnerable gazes only for her and Angel. Even though he now had found a family with Team RWBY and JNPR, he didn't allow _anyone_ but her and their daughter into his soul.

That was a raw, pure connection that he would never share with anyone else, not even in a second, third, or hundredth life.

"You should get up before she comes back with an air horn or something," Yang warned with an amused smile. Mercury simply nodded in agreement with a soft "mhm", but he didn't move, nor did he take his eyes off of hers. "Merc, I'm serious."

"I know…" was his response as his thumb gently brushed over the soft skin of her cheekbone, causing her to give in for a second and lean into his touch. "Have I told you that I love you?"

"Only about a thousand times every single day for the last six or seven years."

"Damn, I need to step up my game." His reply earned a giggle from her before she pulled out of his embrace and sat up, stretching her arm over her head then getting to her feet. Grabbing her prosthetic off her bedside table, the metal arm attached to the base of her stump with a few soft clicks and a hiss of air. Like always, Yang tested the limb's mobility by simply flexing her fingers and twisting her forearm to ensure the joints weren't becoming stiff or sticky. During this, she was well aware of the fact that her boyfriend was shamelessly appreciating her choice in nightwear, which was just a yellow tank top and black shorts.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," She teased as she walked to the closet to look for her combat gear. A few seconds later, there was a quick flash of light and the distinctive click of a camera. She turned and sure enough found Mercury sitting up with his scroll in his hand, the camera lens aimed at her. "You're kidding, right?"

"Wait, turn back around. I didn't get the best angle yet," He joked, chuckling when she rolled her eyes and went back to gathering her clothes for the day. "New screensaver!"

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"Awe, you noticed! I'm touched, Blondie~"

Yang rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time, but smiled regardless. He was an idiot, but he was her idiot. In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of his reflection in the wall mirror, unable to glance away as he stood up and stretched, wearing only a pair of dark gray sweatpants. He was definitely a good-looking idiot, she had to admit. Nearly 28 years old – Yang herself being 26 – Mercury Black aged like a fine wine, and doing his own Hunting on the side definitely kept him well in shape. She quickly looked away and blushed when he caught her staring, that ever present smug smirk crossing his lips. Even after everything she'd been through with him these past several years, including the surprise arrival of their daughter, she still at times felt as shy about her attraction to him as she did when she was 18.

Despite being extremely tempted to keep teasing his girlfriend, the former assassin chose to let her be to get ready for her rendezvous with her team while he headed to the kitchen. Thankfully, they had carpet in almost every room, otherwise his metallic footsteps would be echoing noisily throughout the house. Rubbing his tired eyes as he walked down the stairs and through the living room, he suddenly halted in his tracks when he found Angel fully dressed darting around the kitchen, climbing onto chairs she moved from the table in order to pop some bread into the toaster and hitting the start button on the coffee machine. Did she seriously clean up and get dressed in less than ten minutes?!

"Hold up, Squirt," He said, making his presence known as he walked over to where she was standing on her toes on a chair, trying to reach into an open cabinet above her head. Placing a reassuring hand on her small shoulder, he grabbed the two coffee mugs she was reaching for and placed them on the counter in front of her, avoiding a possible fall. "There you go."

"Thank you, Daddy," Angel replied with a sweet smile, turning around and jumping off the chair into his arms. Even though she knew what she was doing and had managed to loop her arms around his neck to catch herself, Mercury still felt his heart drop into his stomach for that single second that she was airborne. If a Grimm or another assassin didn't kill him, his own daughter definitely would. "Good morning!"

"It would be good if you'd stop giving me miniature heart attacks, you little rat," He replied half-jokingly as he held the little girl securely with one arm while the other went down and began tickling her feet. Angel squealed with laughter as she tried to kick her father's hand away, but to no avail. Her infectious laughter brought out a warm smile from him, and the sheer happiness in her sparkling purple eyes made his heart soar in his chest. Ceasing the assault on her feet, he hugged his little girl close and pressed a soft kiss to her squishy cheek. "Good morning, Princess."

"Morning, Daddy."

"Not in the mood to wait for breakfast, are we?" Mercury inquired, gesturing to the toaster and coffee maker, the latter already a quarter full of fresh brew.

Angel shook her head, her excited grin still in place. "The sun is gonna be up soon," She explained. Sunrise actually wouldn't happen for another 30-45 minutes, he analyzed upon catching the current time on the microwave, which was 6am. He didn't have the heart to correct her though.

"Well it's a good thing you got the coffee started, otherwise your mom and I would have just fallen back asleep," He praised while playfully ruffling her hair, which he noticed wasn't brushed. "Did you forget to pull that Nevermore nest out of your head again?"

Angel giggled at her father's joke before pointing to the hairbrush on the kitchen table. "I want you to."

Mercury raised an unsure eyebrow. "You sure you don't want to wait for your mom to do it? You know she's way better than I am." Receiving an affirmative nod, he exhaled with uncertainty before carrying her over to the table and sitting her down on one of the remaining chairs. He had done his daughter's hair a few times in the past, and he had done a somewhat decent job, though he would definitely have no future as a hair stylist. Plus, it was honestly easier when Yang did it since she knew how to properly tame and manage these kind of curls. Remembering one sour moment from the last time he did this, Mercury began to gently detangle some of the larger knots with his fingers instead of grabbing the brush. Unlike Yang, poor Angel had a tender scalp and didn't like it when her hair was pulled, so he had to go the slower, safer route to spare his little girl as much discomfort as possible.

Fifteen minutes later when he was certain he got as many of the bad tangles as he could, he reached for the brush and cautiously ran the bristles through a section of hair he had gathered into one hand. Much to his relief and surprise, the brush ran through her snowy curls with very little to no snags. Still, he continued to cautiously brush each section with intense concentration, his ears strained to pick up any possible sounds that would indicate he was hurting her. A laugh from the hallway caught both of their attention as Yang entered the kitchen, dressed in her combat attire for later and her hair still damp from her shower.

"You look like you're trying to defuse a ticking time bomb," She teased her boyfriend as she grabbed one of the abandoned pieces of toast in the toaster and took a bite, then pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Not everyone can effortlessly tame what is basically a lion mane," Mercury shot back with an eye roll as he took a deep breath to calm his heart, which he hadn't noticed was racing from his concentration. Yang giggled before setting her coffee down on the counter, then approaching the two of them.

"I can take care of the rest," She reassured her boyfriend as she took the brush from him, then picked up Angel and sat her on the edge of the table. "Go ahead and get dressed."

"Got it," He replied with a mock salute, pressing a quick kiss to her temple before snatching her coffee mug and returning to the bedroom. Smirking smugly at the exasperated groan behind him, he took a long swig of the liquid caffeine before grabbing a gray hoodie and changing into a pair of black pants. Having spent most of his life in the mountains of Mistral, he was used to colder weather, though not to the extent as Weiss or their other Solitas native friends. Going into the closet, he grabbed Talaria and sat on the bed before working to attach the thick, metal greaves to his prosthetics. After tightening the last screw, he grabbed a storage box from under the bed and opened it, grabbing a few wind Dust crystals to restock some of the empty slots in his legs themselves. Then he added a variety of other Dust rounds into the guns of the greaves.

Once he was certain he was prepared for the possibility of Grimm while he was out with Angel, he left the bedroom and made his way back downstairs. His daughter and girlfriend appeared to be gossiping in hushed tones, one of them holding a mug of coffee and the other a small cup of orange juice. He noticed Angel's hair was now styled in a cute side braid that hung over her left shoulder. "You ladies talking about me again?" He jokingly asked as he drank the rest of the coffee in his mug – the one he stole from Yang – then added the cup to the dishwasher.

"Girl stuff," Angel brushed off with a cheeky grin before hopping down from her chair and running to grab her shoes. Yang smiled as she watched her daughter take off before walking over to the hat rack next to the back door and grabbed a black beanie.

"Going to the cliffside?" She guessed as she approached him and slipped the beanie onto his head, brushing his bangs to the side so they weren't pressed into his eye. "Both of you be careful out there, okay?"

"Hey, I used to work for an egomaniacal flamethrower, managed to fool a Grimm goddess into believing I was still an ally, then turned on them and helped you all take them down. That makes me the most dangerous man on the planet, sweetheart," He replied, his chin tilting up a bit with smug pride before he wrapped his arms around her and pecked the center of her forehead. "The Grimm would run crying to their mommies the second they saw me."

"I don't think the Grimm have mommies," She chuckled, laying her head against his shoulder and hugging his waist.

"They did, then your sister vaporized her with her laser eyes."

Yang chuckled again before looking up at him, her chin resting on the left side of his chest. "You know I'd still worry about you both even if the worst thing that could happen is one of you trips on a tree root and falls into a mud puddle."

"Oh please, _Ruby_ has a higher chance of doing that than Angel, and she still has the balance of a newborn deer," Mercury pointed out, which Yang couldn't help but agree with. Her sister was as much of a master scythe wielder as their Uncle Qrow, yet any other time outside of combat, she was the clumsiest girl in all of Remnant. How that worked? No one knew. "I'll message you when we get back."

"Not a moment later."

"Yes, Mother."

"Ew, don't make things weird."

"You're the one that made it weird."

"Did not!"

"Did too."

Yang rolled her eyes, unable to help but smile at their seemingly never-ending banter. "Do you ever shut up?"

"Emerald once tried to pay me for five minutes of silence. Do you think I took the Lien?" Of course he didn't, annoying Emerald was always a fun time back then.

"What _would_ it take to shut you up for a while?"

That damn cocky smirk returned. "Well I have a few ideas~"

"You jerk!" She shoved him away with incredulous disbelief upon catching the hidden undertones of his answer, while he laughed at her reaction. Angel returned to the kitchen about a moment later, having thankfully missed her parents' conversation – not that she would get what they were talking about.

"I'm ready!" She declared to her father, though she seemed to be struggling with the stuck zipper of her jacket. Yang kneeled on one knee and helped before suddenly scooping the child into her arms and spinning her around, pressing kisses all over the little girl's face as she squealed happily.

"Be good for your dad, okay? Do as he says and try to stay out of trouble," She told her daughter after placing her back on her feet. "I need to go to Vale with your aunts, but I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Okay, Mommy," Angel replied with an understanding nod before hugging her mother's neck. "I love you."

"I love you too, Angel." Yang hugged her daughter a little tighter before letting her go so she could follow her father outside to walk to the cliffs that overlooked the sea. The family lived near the northwestern coast of Patch, so they had similar scenic views as Yang and Ruby's childhood home did. They lived close enough to Taiyang for him to visit, or for them to visit, but far enough so the trio had their own space. Feeling her heart ache from her child's absence from her arms, the blonde Huntress walked to the nearby window and watched them until she could no longer see Angel's snow-white hair glowing in the moonlight.

Even though he joked around a lot, Mercury knew that Yang knew that he would die before he let anything happen to Angel. He knew she trusted him with her life – as well as their daughter's – but he knew that wouldn't stop her from watching them walk away, which he knew she was doing now. He understood why she did it. Yang had to grow up at a very young age in order to keep her family from falling apart upon learning of her stepmother's disappearance. After their father fell into a great depression and busied himself with teaching, and Qrow being away on missions a lot, she had be the mother her baby sister needed. Even when the girls were trained and well into their teen years, and Taiyang was in a better mental state, Yang never lost that side of her that was a protective Mama Bear. She also made sure Angel would never doubt that she loved her more than anything or anyone in all of Remnant, so she did not have to grow up wondering all the time like Yang did in regards to Raven.

Mercury himself had his own insecurities as a parent. Years ago, while fighting with Emerald about what he wanted out of joining Salem's faction, Tyrian had appeared and the serial killer had hit the head on the nail: all the young assassin had known was pain and violence, and he was too afraid to leave it. Even though he had already had a change of heart when that occurred, the fear remained deep inside of him. He knew deep down that no matter what changes occurred, his friends would never trust him again after he betrayed them. Yet, something happened that to this day still shook him to his core: They forgave him. Granted, it took some time for the rest of Team RWBY since Yang started trusting him again after he and Taiyang helped her overcome her grief from losing her arm at the Fall of Beacon, but they all forgave him.

After Salem was defeated, he and Yang decided to take off and see what kind of crazy adventures they could get caught up in next during their travels. During those two years, they scoured the surface of Remnant seeing the sights that had been missed due to them both being focused on either sides of the war. It was no surprise that the two only got closer during that time, then fate would grant them their next big, yet unexpected adventure: Angel. Mercury remembered the day he and Yang learned they were expecting as clear as day; his entire horrific upbringing with Marcus had flashed before his eyes and he actually _blacked out_. Any fear he held towards Salem in the past paled in comparison to the fear he felt upon learning he was going to be a father.

It wasn't exactly the idea of kids that scared him. He had figured out pretty quickly from her maternal personality that Yang would one day want her own family, albeit not as soon as it ended up happening. It was more the idea of a kid being raised by _him_ that scared him. He had just begun learning to love – in both the platonic and romantic senses – but those were all people who were independent and could care for themselves. Now he would soon have someone who would need him and Yang to not only provide for them, teach them, and protect them, but love them unconditionally. Was he – a coldblooded killer – even capable of that?

His answer came about eight months later in the form of a screaming newborn covered in white goop, blood, and amniotic fluid. He honestly couldn't remember what he was feeling or thinking the moment Angel was born – he believed he must have been in that much of a state of shock. It wasn't until the screaming had stopped, the baby had opened her eyes, and she made eye contact with him for the first time. It was baffling to him; this sweet little girl had done absolutely nothing to deserve it, but Mercury knew immediately that he had never loved anyone so quickly and so intensely in his entire life. He had actually fallen to his knees at his girlfriend's bedside when the emotion hit him all at once, when he knew right then and there that he would lay his life down for this little girl. He would be her protector, her best friend, her teacher, her sanctuary.

He'd be the father that she deserved, the father that Marcus never was to him.

"Daddy?"

Mercury was brought out of his thoughts by his daughter's voice, looking down at her as they walked hand-in-hand down the trail that would take them to the cliffs. "What's up, Sunshine?"

"Do you ever wonder why the moon is broken?" The little girl asked, her eyes gazing up at the partially shattered, luminous astronomical body in the sky, surrounded by trillions of tiny, twinkling stars. "Do you think Aunt Ruby was doing target practice and missed?"

The former assassin laughed out loud at her theory, thinking that he honestly wouldn't be surprised if that actually were the case. However, everyone knew better. "That does sound like her, but no. The moon was broken waaaay before Aunt Ruby was born. Way before me, your mother, and even grandfather were born. But that's a long story for another da-"

"I wanna know!" The child eagerly requested with a wide grin, bouncing along for a moment. "Please please please please pleeeeeeeeease!"

He knew he needed to stop giving in to her demands so often and remain firm, but she made it difficult every time she pulled those damn adorable puppy eyes. He really was losing his edge. "Alright, alright. So this story takes place hundreds of years ago, if not thousands. It starts with a princess locked away in a tower who is one day rescued by a brave warrior."

"Was he handsome?" Angel interrupted, causing Mercury to smirk and chuckle.

"Even if he was, Sunshine, nobody is better-looking than me."

Angel stuck her tongue out at her father, causing him to chuckle again. "What happens next?"

"The two of them quickly fell in love and decided to travel the world together," Mercury continued. "However, the warrior got really sick and passed away shortly after. The princess was so sad, she went to the God of Light and asked him to bring her love back. The God of Light said he couldn't, because life and death are part of the natural balance of the world. The princess became angry and went to the God of Darkness, repeating her request to him, but not mentioning that she had already visited his elder brother. The God of Darkness granted her wish and brought the warrior back to life. The God of Light became angry and told his brother the truth, and the warrior disappeared before her eyes. She attacked the gods, but they easily overpowered her."

"Why did she get angry at them?" Angel asked a moment later, jumping over a small log that was in the middle of the trail.

"Before the warrior rescued her, her life was very lonely and miserable. He was her saving grace, so to speak," The gray-haired man explained. "When he died, she became so sad that she went crazy. If I'm being honest, I think I would probably go crazy too if I lost you and your Mom. You two are my whole world."

"You're my world too, Daddy," The violet-eyed girl replied, hugging one of his legs before they continued their walk.

Mercury smiled and ruffled her hair before continuing the tale. "The gods then punished the princess by turning her immortal, which means that she could never die. Or at least, not until she understands the importance of life and death. The princess then came up with a plan to get rid of her curse and the gods. She gathered many armies from around the world, told stories about how she stole immortality from the gods, and promised them similar power if they helped defeat their old masters. Using their magic, the princess and her army attacked the gods, but they quickly realized they made a big mistake. With a simple clench of his fist, the God of Darkness wiped humanity from the face of Remnant."

Angel gasped with shock from this. "Even the princess?"

"No, she survived because she was still cursed," Her father answered. "The gods then decided to abandon Remnant, leaving the princess all alone. The God of Light simply scattered away like rose petals. The God of Darkness, however, left in a giant beam of purple light, like a laser. That light is what broke the moon."

"Really?" She asked with fascination, hanging on to her father's every word before looking back up at the moon, which was beginning its descent as the sun got ready to shine over the horizon.

"Yep," Mercury answered with a nod. "That's how our world got its name. After the gods left and humanity was reborn, everyone didn't have magic anymore. Or at least, not as much magic as humanity used to. So, we are remnants, the byproducts of a forgotten past."

"What's a by-product?"

"It means a result."

"Oh." Angel took another look at the shattered moon before asking her father, "What happened to the princess?"

The former assassin sighed as memories of Salem filled his mind. "She became a Grimm and lived for a very, very long time, causing chaos and destruction all over the world. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I, your mother, your aunts and uncles, and grandparents managed to finally stop her. She's gone now, and the rest of the world is finally at peace."

The two finally reached the end of the trail and found themselves atop a great cliff that overlooked the vast sea that surrounded the island. They made it just in time too, as the first rays of sunlight were just peaking over the horizon, turning the ocean a beautiful mirage of reds, pinks, oranges, and some purples. Mercury sat down a few feet away from the edge on the soft grass, and Angel crawled into his lap, snuggling into his chest when she felt the chilly bite of the sea breeze against her cheeks.

"Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you look angry when you finished the story?"

Mercury's eyebrows went up with surprise at her question. Had he been frowning? He must have been, given his mind had reminded him that he was once part of the Grimm Queen's cause. Even though they had defeated her and restored peace almost everywhere, the scars of the past remained. He would always carry that guilt deep inside, though he knew it wasn't healthy. Looking down at Angel, she was patiently waiting for his answer with a concerned look on her sweet face. He never wanted to lie to her, but could he really tell her the truth now...?

"Angel…" He started slowly, swallowing a lump in his throat. "You know I love you, your mom, and the rest of our family with all of my heart and soul, right?"

The little girl slowly nodded, not sure where he was going with this.

"Remember you said earlier that I was your world?"

Another nod.

"I…I wasn't always a…good person."

Angel tilted her head with confusion, as if Mercury had said the most absurd thing she'd ever heard.

"I used to…be a very bad person," He admitted with a shameful tone, his gray eyes locking on the sunrise. "I used to work for that evil Grimm queen. I helped her hurt a lot of people, including your mom…I was angry when I finished the story because I thought of all of that bad stuff I used to do. And honestly? Sometimes I think that bad part of me didn't go away. Sometimes I get scared that one day I may hurt you, or your mom, or someone else that I care about…"

The former assassin didn't realize a tear had escaped his eye until Angel had reached up and wiped it away with the sleeve of her jacket. He cleared his throat and straightened his back, trying to get his emotions under control so he didn't turn into a mess in front of his daughter. That plan didn't last long as Angel had turned around and hugged his neck. "It's okay, Daddy. You're still my hero."

Mercury broke, hugging the four-year-old girl as tightly as he could without making it difficult for her to breathe, reeling his legs up so she was cocooned in his embrace as tears slowly slipped from his eyes. They stayed like that for what could have been a few seconds or several minutes, neither of them knew, nor did they care. The gray-haired man wasn't sure if she didn't fully comprehend the severity of his past and was just trying to make him feel better, or if maybe his little girl was a little smarter than he gave her credit for and truly didn't care about who he used to be. She didn't know that Mercury Black, she only knew the man that was always there for as long as she could remember. The man who held her hands when she took her first steps, who let her sleep with him when a nightmare woke her in the middle of the night, who taught her how to kick a soccer ball around.

Who her father was didn't matter to her. Who he is _now_ is all that mattered, and she knew he was good.

"Thanks, Squirt," He said to her in a hushed tone, pressing a few soft kisses to the top of her head before nodding his head in the direction of the sunrise. "Wanna tell the sun good morning, Princess?"

Angel turned back around, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted as loud as she could: "GOOD MORNING, SUN!"

Mercury laughed at the little smart aleck in his arms, watching the sun slowly climb into the sky which was gradually fading to much lighter blues. About thirty minutes passed before he noticed that Angel had curled herself into a ball and fallen back asleep in his arms. All of her excited energy must have worn off after they got here and settled down for a bit, and the warmth of his hug probably helped her relax a lot. Taking one last look at the rising sun, the former assassin carefully gathered the sleeping child into his arms and stood up, turning his back to the cliffs and began making his way back up the trail that would lead them home.

Actually…Home was the beautiful little girl in his arms that called him 'Daddy' and 'my hero'. Home was the fiery blonde-haired Huntress with a heart of gold and terrible obsession with puns currently on her way to Vale. Home is where the heart is, and his heart was in both of their hands.


End file.
